Sense of Life Objectivists (SOLO) was founded in 2001. Like other Objectivist organisations, it seeks to transform the prevailing culture from one of nihilism and unreason—a culture conducive to dictatorship—to one of life-affirmation and reason—a culture in which freedom can flourish. It also seeks to transform the culture of Objectivism itself, from one of cultism, censorship, heresy-hunts, emotional repression and robotic "Randroidism" to one where authentic individuality may blossom.

SOLO places a heavy emphasis on activism, recognising that while ideas are powerful, ideas without action are useless. It encourages reason-and-freedom-lovers to submit articles to SOLOPassion.com; it provides a completely open discussion forum; it offers a book (and other merchandise) store; it promotes life-affirming art, movies, music and literature; it offers a culture of camaraderie and joie de vivre; it touts a fellowship of freedom.

SOLO is for those who—to invoke George Walsh's famous remark when he helped David Kelley launch the Institute for Objectivist Studies—consider themselves "homeless Objectivists" still. It’s for those who, after 15 years of IOS/TOC, want an alternative to repressive religiosity within Objectivism other than the timid, tepid somnambulist ecumenism that pervades TOC (now renamed The Atlas Society). It's here for any Objectivist, aligned or non-aligned, who agrees with this Credo. And for any Objectivist who doesn't!

SOLO seeks to galvanise all Objectivists who recognise that Objectivism is a tool for living, and who repudiate any reason/passion dichotomy. We seek to be a magnet and a home for those who are exuberantly rational and rationally exuberant, who aspire to the "total passion for the total height"—intellectually and emotionally, simultaneously and harmoniously.

We aspire to embody within our ranks and promote at large a culture of sincerity and integrity, where mind-games, deceit and posturing—and having to read between the lines—in one's dealings with others are a thing of the past, where Shakespeare's "This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. ..." is second nature.

SOLO is for those who want reason and logic to be liberated from the Mr. Spock straitjacket and impregnated with KASS—the "kick-ass" factor—in the service of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We see ourselves most emphatically as being at war with the current culture: the culture of anti-heroes, nihilism, destruction and dishonesty (hence a significant, though by no means exclusive, focus on esthetics here). Yet we acknowledge that Objectivism's critics can be honest, and should be granted more than a perfunctory discussion or two before being dismissed out of hand. We acknowledge that Ayn Rand made mistakes (and should not be expected not to have), that she didn’t answer every question that could be asked (and should not have been expected to), that she was wrong about some matters of considerable existential moment, such as homosexuality (which matter we have already addressed). But we salute her as an epoch-changing giant—comparable to Aristotle—whose mistakes were of little moment when compared to her unprecedented insights, and whose life was indeed a Post-Script to her philosophy, a P.S. that said, "And I mean it."

We want to help Ayn Rand's philosophy, Objectivism, become the living, breathing, growing, vibrant, reality-orientated, life-affirming phenomenon that it really is when untainted by religiosity. We want to plant another flower, fierce and radiant, in the Garden of Reason.

Haven't seen this type of intellectual movement prosper and survive, and grow beyond cultism. Is there any reason to suggest that SOLO will be any different? When I was at the Isle of Wight Festival last year, there was a group of people who were openly discussing SOLO as a concept, which was an interesting experience.

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The opinions expressed here are the unmoderated views of the contributors who express them.They do not necessarily reflect the views of other contributors, or of SOLO, and do not necessarily align with Objectivism.